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Tag Archives: Israeli culture

Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement…get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible. – Abraham Joshua Heschel When Heschel described radical amazement, he could easily have been speaking about the initial euphoria that people experience Continue Reading »

From my blog: Unsolicited life advice from fellow bus passengers Some of the most interesting stories from this year have happened on buses. (Maybe it’s because Israelis will talk to anyone like they’re family, whether you’re interested in talking or not. Maybe it’s just because I spent a lot of time taking buses.) Here are Continue Reading »

I wanted to share an exciting project with you. As part of my semester studying Israel education (through Kesher Hadash, the Israel semester of the JTS education school), I made a documentary dealing with the challenges of egalitarian religious practice on Israeli army bases. It is based in my experiences staffing Gadna last year while Continue Reading »

From my blog: This past Tuesday night was the Masa Israeli Cultural event at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem. Top Israeli artists of all kinds were brought in for us to hear from, and the night culminated in an incredible performance by the Voca People. I chose to go to the session with Alex Levac, a Continue Reading »

I wrote this to Swarthmore’s Hillel in hopes that it would engage them in responding to me. I have heard nothing. I expect that some Pardes students may be interested and want to challenge/ agree/ expand my thoughts. In Support of Hillel “Guidelines” Why Swarthmore’s Hillel Should Not Become “Open” On December 8, 2013, Swarthmore’s Continue Reading »

From my blog: A few nights ago I went to a music and light festival in the old city. Earlier that day, I signed a contract for my job next year- working with Jewish communities in the South, based in Jackson Mississippi. I’ve become aware of what little time I have left in Israel, and Continue Reading »

From my blog: A few weeks ago, an actress came to Pardes to do a kind of skit, stereotyping Four Faces of Israel, or four different people that one will inevitably encounter in Israel. She portrayed the narratives of a Haredi woman, a settler, a kibbutznik and an Arab woman. Somehow, every experience that I have, Continue Reading »

by Falynn Schmidt (Year ’99-’00), Pardes staff member, from her blog: It’s a strange thing how quickly a year can pass, but exactly one year ago today, I boarded a plane with a freshly minted aliyah[1] visa glued in to my US passport. My three-bag allowance and I got on an average plane flight, incognito, Continue Reading »

Aaron Voldman (Fall ’12, Elul ’13) is still taking classes at Pardes, as a Dorot Fellow. He recently wrote this poem- Over the din Of traffic A flute sounds Signaling the start of class To the melody of “Tov lhodot Lashem:” “It is good to praise Hashem To declare in the morning his kindness And Continue Reading »

From my blog: As a resident of a country whose primary language isn’t my own and where the health system is very different, I often have challenges when needing to get things done. Seeing a doctor that speaks English is so amazing, you have no idea. We completely take it for granted in the US Continue Reading »

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.Website designed by Addicott Web.